‘More to Muncie than McGalliard’
ISABELLA KEMPER, DN PHOTO JESSICA BERGFORS, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
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VOL. 104 ISSUE: 07
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Kate Farr, Editor-in-chief
Trinity Rea, Print Managing
Editor
Olivia Ground, Digital Managing
Editor
Katherine Hill, News Editor
Meghan Braddy, Associate News
Editor
Zach Carter, Sports Editor
David Moore, Associate Sports
Editor
Derran Cobb, Associate Sports Editor
Ella Howell, Lifestyles Editor, Copy Editor
Maria Nevins, Video Editor, Podcast Editor
Layla Durocher, Social Media
Editor
Andrew Berger,Photo Editor
Isabella Kemper, Associate Photo Editor
Jessica Bergfors, Visual Editor
Brenden Rowan, Visual Editor
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CORRECTION
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In the Sept. 12 issue of the Ball State Daily News, it was stated on pg. 07 that Still Waters Professional Counseling provides “faith-based” counseling services. While certain staff members are Christian licensed, Still Waters provides inclusive counseling to all members of the community. To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.
Elia Stowers, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group 4-DAY WEATHER FORECAST
Congress strikes deal to avert shutdown
Sept. 22: Congressional leaders agreed on a short-term plan to keep the government running until mid-December, just in time to prevent a shutdown on Oct. 1. The plan includes $231 million to strengthen Secret Service protection for former President Donald Trump after two attempts on his life, as well as funds to help with the upcoming presidential transition. House Speaker Mike Johnson wanted the bill to require stricter voter ID rules but this was dropped after talks with both parties. This funding allows Congress to focus on a long-term budget after the Nov. 5 election.
Three tornadoes touch down
Sept. 22: The National Weather Service confirmed three tornados touched down the evening of Sept. 22 in Delaware and Jay counties. NewsLink Indiana was able to confirm damages to TK Constructors in Yorktown, as well as damage to the roof of Jay County High School in Portland. Jay County Schools have announced that the high school will switch to remote learning Sept. 25 through Sept. 27 while critical infrastructure at the school is repaired. Forecasters had not issued any watches or warnings as no severe storms were expected that evening.
Cardinals begin fall baseball season
Sept. 28: Ball State baseball will play three games in its fall-ball schedule to prepare for the 2025 season. The Cardinals will open with a contest against Kalamazoo Community College Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. The game will be followed by a scrimmage with the Ontario Nationals Oct. 2. Ball State then ends with a game against Butler University Oct. 12. All of the games will be played in Muncie at First Merchants Ball Park. Cardinals’ head coach Rich Maloney will coach the red and black for his 30th season and curently has 988 career wins.
AP PHOTO, PHOTO PROVIDED
NOAH GORDON, NEWSLINK INDIANA
MYA CATALINE, DN
State
FAFSA delays affect college enrollment
Indiana higher education officials are highlighting post-secondary options for high school graduates, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2025-26 academic year won’t be fully available until Dec. 1, the U.S. Department of Education announced last month.
State Documents detail GOP candidate’s arrest
Trinity Rea Print Managing Editor
YouthBuild USA is an organization focused on combining construction, education and leadership training for youth, according to the organization’s website.
Since its creation in 1978 in East Harlem, New York, the organization has grown into not only a national movement but a global one. Today, there are over 280 YouthBuild programs worldwide, producing over 51 million hours of community service combined.
“[YouthBuild USA] started to give youth some sort of workforce training, and it has grown over
‘LIFE ‘LIFE
EMPOWERMENT’ EMPOWERMENT’
Muncie YouthBuild is fostering change in the community.
It’s fulfilling to be able to see somebody start at a point with a lot of barriers and a lot of struggles and a lack of confidence and just to be able to guide them … We’re going to meet you wherever you are, wherever you come in.”
- KRISTI BRUMLI, Muncie Area Career Center employee
time into different things,” said Ashley Ball, director of initiatives at Eastern Indiana Works (EIW). “There’s different programs and different structures, and it looks different everywhere … It just depends on location.”
While the organization has been around for over 40 years, Muncie’s branch of YouthBuild has only recently began.
Ball said EIW applied for a grant to host a YouthBuild cohort in 2021. She said this decision was based on a need EIW saw in the community: more opportunities for youth to better themselves.
A year after applying for the grant, they were approved and immediately began to bring Muncie YouthBuild to life.
See YOUTH, 04
New court documents release information that Gabriel “Gabe” Whitley’s August 2024 arrest and his ongoing criminal case are connected to allegations of online threats he made against Indianapolis-based political commentator Abdul-Hakim Shabazz, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. Whitley ran in the Republican primary in Indiana’s 7th Congressional District.
Local
Vincennes offers deaf culture program
Vincennes University’s new American Sign Language (ASL) program employs deaf professors and explores deaf culture, according to Mirror Indy. Professors teach classes in ASL, and students are taught alongside students from the Indiana School for the Deaf. 2020 census data revealed Marion County was home to over 78,000 deaf and hard of hearing people.
A Muncie YouthBuild participant drills a block of wood July 24 at a residence in Muncie, Ind. Muncie YouthBuild is a paid program that introduces young people in the area to construction. EASTERN INDIANA WORKS, PHOTO PROVIDED
YOUTH
Continued from Page 03
Muncie’s cohort of the program is traditional with construction being the trade learned by participating youth, ages 18-24. Alongside construction, the five-day-a-week program prioritizes time in the classroom to help participants earn their high school diplomas and partake in leadership courses.
“It’s so exciting just getting to meet all of the different participants,” Ball said. “They’re so close to the hope and change that our program offers … I don’t think that they realize that aspect of it. They’re like, ‘Cool, I’ll learn construction and get my high school diploma,’ but, they don’t know how much that can change for them, even within six months.”
For EIW to fully enact its vision for the program, they knew they would need help from local community partners.
To address the leadership part of the program, EIW turned to Shafer Leadership Academy, a local organization that has been operating in Muncie for over 50 years. The academy is dedicated to inclusive leadership development programs for all ages and has an extensive history of providing youth leadership programming.
Shafer’s Program Manager Eilis Wasserman, who works to coordinate programming with EIW, said partnering with YouthBuild was a no-brainer.
“Inclusivity is core to us and also servant leadership. The concept of servant leadership is really woven within YouthBuild, so it’s a great connection,” Wasserman said.
Participants in the YouthBuild program spend two of their seven-hour days in the classroom either focusing on earning their diploma or participating in Shafer-led leadership development workshops.
These workshops range from learning it’s OK to be an “imperfect leader” to understanding the power one holds in “outlining their life” and choosing the story one wants to tell. At a foundational level, Wasserman said the goal of the workshops is to provide participants with skills they can use for a lifetime.
“The diversity of the partnerships and what each partner brings to YouthBuild is what is so powerful and unique … The impact is introducing and really influencing them by providing these foundational skill sets that will help them and guide them,” she said.
Wasserman said each participant and community partner has been extremely resilient in working to bring YouthBuild to life. She said at the end of the day, she is grateful Shafer can meet students where they are and provide facilitation, not just presentation.
On days students are not partaking in leadership programming, they work with educators at the Muncie Area Career Center (MACC) and Ivy Tech Community College.
Kristi Brumley is a retired Muncie Community Schools teacher turned adult educator and works at MACC to help assist with the YouthBuild program. She has been a part of the group for almost three years.
“I taught middle school math for lots of years, so coming to adult ed was a whole different clientele. I just found a passion for that,” Brumley said. “I
The
diversity of the partnerships and what each partner brings to YouthBuild is what is so powerful and unique … The impact is introducing and really influencing them by providing these foundational skill sets that will help them and guide them.”
- EILIS WASSERMAN, Program manager at Shafer Leadership Academy
have adults coming here that just need a second chance. Something didn’t go right the first time around educationally, [but] they’re here, and they’re motivated, and they want to earn their degree.”
Brumley prepares participants for the high school equivalency test and then guides them to earning their diplomas. She said the MACC’s number one goal within the YouthBuild program is to have students earn their diploma in the six months they are in the program or at least make significant progress toward that goal.
“It’s fulfilling to be able to see somebody start at a point with a lot of barriers and a lot of struggles and a lack of confidence and be able to guide them [away from that],” Brumley said. “… We’re going to meet you wherever you are, wherever you come in. I don’t care if you’re at a first-grade reading level or you’re at a 10th-grade math level.”
Alongside this, Brumley helps participants earn their Occupational Safety and Health
Administration 10 card and National Center for Construction Education & Research construction credentials, which allow participants to work on the job site during the other half of the program.
They also utilize the Win Career Readiness System from the Department of Workforce Development for a variety of programs they provide. Brumley said ensuring participants understand digital literacy is a big component of what the MACC strives to achieve.
“Those skills transfer to just almost any job where you have face-to-face communication. It works on a lot of the same things that soft skills do, in addition to some other skills,” she said. “… There’s problem-solving, working in teams, how to read body language and how to increase customer satisfaction. Those are all the things that we hope to accomplish.”
The last component of YouthBuild is learning a trade, and Muncies YouthBuild cohort focuses
on construction. This is provided by the local company ecoREHAB and is key to the program’s success and structure.
ecoREHAB works with the Muncie Parks Department and also holds “mini partnerships” with Ball State in addition to its work with YouthBuild.
The CEO of ecoREHAB, Jason Haney, said the partnership between the two organizations came to be after each participated in EIW’s Skilled Trades and Education program (STEP).
“We have an amazing network of folks that will drop what they’re doing to help us out,” Haney said via email.
He said his favorite part of participating in YouthBuild is watching participants’ confidence and maturity grow throughout the program.
Each of the three components comes together to create a workweek consisting of five sevenhour days. Cohorts last six weeks, during which participants can participate in a graduation ceremony and celebrate with their family and peers.
Wasserman said YouthBuild has become all that EIW and its partners envisioned.
“This is life empowerment. It’s not just skill training — it goes beyond it and affects holistically, the entire person. … This is a start for a lot of these young folks,” Wasserman said. “... It really comes full circle because there’s so many community partners, and the impact is that we’re better together.”
Contact Trinity Rea via email at trinity.rea@bsu. edu or on X @thetrinityrea.
A participant of Muncie YouthBuild uses a handsaw July 10 at McCarty Lumber Co. in Muncie, Ind. Participants must earn their OSHA 10 and NCCER construction credentials before working on-site. EASTERN INDIANA WORKS, PHOTO PROVIDED
Muncie’s
FIRED UP
The city hosted its annual Fire Up DWNTWN.
Katherine Hill News Editor
Muncie’s Fire Up DWNTWN event, which took place Sept. 21, was packed with eager vendors and anticipatory locals and their families looking for a good time.
In 2023, a public statement released by Muncie Downtown Development announced that the event would return after a “resounding success” that drew over 11,000 visitors in the summer of 2022.
We’ve been here [only] a month and a half, but I’ve already seen so many Muncie, local, communitysponsored events. I really enjoy that the town is trying to get people out [and into the community].”
- ASHTON LYVERS, Ball State first-year critical psychology graduate student
The success of its first year prompted the event director for Muncie Downtown Development Cheryl Crowder to make the event bigger and better.
“Building on the tremendous support and enthusiasm from our community, we’ve worked on bringing new events and attractions for everyone to enjoy,” Crowder said in the public statement.
This year, the street fest was dubbed “the summer event you don’t dare miss” with “ a new date and more sizzle,” according to the event’s information page.
First-time attendees Diamond Watson, a second-year psychology student at Ball State, and Audrey Ravenstein, a first-year diagnostic medical sonography student at Muncie’s Ivy Tech branch, were happy to take part in the local festivities.
“I keep up with the things that go on down here — anything to get out of the house,” Ravenstein said.
The street fest was also an epicenter for vendors of small businesses in the community.
“I bought so much today,” Watson said. Her favorite purchase was a five-dollar self-portrait.
Beyond the aisles of vendor stalls, the event also offered a host of activities for friends and family, including hot-air balloon rides and bouncy houses.
“I’ve never seen a hot-air balloon before. This is my first time seeing one. I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re real … They’re not just in puzzles,’” said Krisi Michael, a first-year Ball State psychological science graduate student.
Michael attended the event with fellow graduate students Elijah Wibven, a fellow psychological science major, and Ashton Lyvers, a critical psychology major.
“We’re looking for ways to bond in our cohort,” Lyvers said. “We’re new to being here in Muncie, so we’re looking for ways to kind of meet our cohort and get closer with everyone in the local community.”
She said similar community-bonding events are what helped the trio become so close-knit early in the academic year, as the three friends met at the beginning of the fall semester.
“We’ve been here [only] a month and a half, but I’ve already seen so many Muncie, local, community-sponsored events. I really enjoy that the town is trying to get people out [into the community],” Lyvers said.
Those looking for other community-centric bonding events can visit Downtown Muncie’s webpage for a calendar of upcoming events.
Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine. hill@bsu.edu.
STIX worker Darrel Reynolds laughs with his coworkers as he prepares kebabs Sept. 21 at Canan Commons during Fire Up DWNTWN. Fire Up DWNTWN was organized by Muncie Downtown Development. ANNABELLE PRICE, DN
Jordy Douglas, Lyla Bowden, Lindsey Lynch and Katey Cooper sport their tiaras and sashes as they walk through Fire Up DWNTWN Sept. 21 at Canan Commons. The Miss Delaware County queens walked through the festival, passing out tiaras to encourage other girls to “follow their dreams.” ANNABELLE PRICE, DN
Byte is a student-run, multimedia coalition operating out of Ball State University’s Unified Media Lab. Though mostly oriented toward Telecommunications and Journalism majors, Byte draws in students studying all sorts of disciplines ranging from Creative Writing to Computer Science and everything in between. Student staff work closely with the student-run editorial board to help refine their skills and improve the quality of content produced for the organization. We are dedicated to providing the best in entertainment and pop culture related content.
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DNSports
Aniya Kennedy said she grew up in a calm, relaxed family.
“I don’t think it’s a lot of high emotions. We’re all pretty mellow,” she said.
Ball State women’s volleyball’s reigning MidAmerican Conference (MAC) Freshman of the Year uses her dad as an example of that behavior.
“You could never tell what is going through his head because he has no emotions,” she said. “I think a lot of people think the same
Soccer
No Hesitation No Hesitation
Multiple circumstances have prepared redshirt sophomore Aniya Kennedy to spearhead Ball State’s attack this season.
with me, but I feel like that helps me a lot.”
Around campus, the redshirt sophomore middle hitter may be cool, calm and collected, but it’s a whole other conversation when she takes the court.
Kennedy took Ball State’s offense by storm in 2023, racking up 470 kills over 31 matches as an outside hitter, including 26 with double-digit kills and eight with 20 or more.
What stands out even more is the fact Kennedy wasn’t even supposed to be in that position.
Kennedy, who was originally listed on Ball State’s roster as a middle blocker, took a
redshirt season in 2022, learning behind squad then-main-stay middle blockers Marie Plitt and Lauren Gilliland.
“We were super deep in all the positions; we were a very veteran team that year,” head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. “We knew she had some opportunities to come in, learn and grow without needing to be an impact player that year.”
During her redshirt season, Kennedy trained in the middle, learning the nuances of the position, the Cardinals’ style of play and the team culture.
Ball State loses two straight in MAC play
The Cardinals began conference play with contests against Bowling Green and Kent State. The red and white fell to both, losing to the Falcons 0-2 and the Golden Flashes 0-1. Ball State looks to bounce back in their next match as they travel to Ohio to play the University of Akron Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
Volleyball
Ball States’ freshman outside hitter Carson Tyler earned MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors and senior setter Megan Wielonski earned herself MAC Setter of the Week. In the two contests against Butler and Wright State, Tyler notched 38 kills between both matches while Wielonski registered 84 assists. Ball State will begin MAC play at home when they take on Bowling Green Sept. 27 at 6 p.m.
Men’s Tennis
Two Cardinals earn weekly MAC Honors Cardinals close out Ball State fall invite
Ball State finished its 40th annual Ball State Fall Invitational Sept. 15 at the Foster Adams Family Tennis Complex with a doubles contest against IU Indy. In the match, the Cardinals won three out of four against the Jaguars. Ball State will host the Cardinal Invitational featuring Bellarmine, Butler and Xavier from Sept. 28-29. See READY, 14
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Aniya Kennedy cheers on her team from the sideline as they face Wright State Sept. 21 at Worthen Arena. Due to a minor knee injury, Kennedy missed two matches against Butler University and Wright State. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Daniel Kehn Reporter
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The
School of Theatre and Dance stages
“Kinky Boots” in University Theatre.
Olivia
Ground,
Trinity Rea Digital Managing Editor, Print Managing Editor
Picture a small town full of hard-working people. They’re not small-minded, just comfortable in their lives. Their town is a hub of the industrial boom and most of the people living there are working on factory floors like the generations before them. But the factories are leaving town and work is getting harder to come by.
This is the town of Northampton, England, where the setting of “Kinky Boots” is currently on stage in University Theatre from the School of Theatre and Dance. To the Department Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance and director of the show Bill Jenkins, this is the story of Muncie. “Northampton, UK, is very similar to Muncie — a
community where there was a lot of manufacturing jobs. A lot of manufacturing jobs exist, and it had to reinvent itself, and that’s something that I think Muncie is working to do,” Jenkins said. “I have so many friends in the community who are part of that reinvention, and so I really love that part of it.”
“Kinky Boots” tells the story of Charlie Price, a young man who unexpectedly gains control of his father’s shoe factory, drawing him away from his new life in London and back to his hometown of Northampton.
Faced with the challenge of finding a new niche of shoes, Charlie runs into a drag artist by the name of Lola, sparking the idea to create a line of stiletto boots that can hold the weight of grown men and last for an extended period of time.
According to a survey conducted by YouGov, one in four Americans has attended a drag show. That same poll, however, found the majority of
responders said events should be restricted to people ages 18 and up.
Fourth-year musical theater major Jarius Newman said this idea comes from a lack of understanding.
“I think just, as humans, sometimes we just need permission to do something, and we don’t know it … I think this show will give people the permission to think outside of themselves and look at life a little bit different,” he said.
Newman said in this current climate, putting on a show that “celebrates differences and commonalities” is especially important.
“We need to do this show right now. We need it. … I think we all need to sit down and be like, ‘Wow. We have greater things in common other than our skin color, our political beliefs and sexual orientation,’” Newman said.
See BOOTS, 14
Community Campus
In collaboration with Indiana On Tap, The Yard is hosting their third annual Munich to Muncie Oktoberfest. The 21+ event will be from 5 p.m. — 4 p.m. with VIP entry — to 8 p.m. Sept. 28. Attendees are allowed unlimited sample pours from over 20 craft beverage vendors. Ticket prices are $37 for non-VIP entry and $47 for VIP, available OnTapTickets.com.
Celestial Origins
The Charles W. Brown Planetarium is holding their “Halloween: Celestial Origins” Fridays Oct. 4, 11 and 18 and Saturdays Oct. 5, 12 and 19 at 6:30 p.m. The show is open to all ages and free to the public. The show will cover the history of Halloween and its impact as a “cross-quarter day,” along with showing the night sky for Halloween this year.
Community Oktoberfest
Fall YART
The semiannual “yard sale for art” (YART) is being held Oct. 3 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will take place at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. There will be a wide variety of local craftspeople, makers and artisans, all with art priced under $40. Volunteers are sought for setup from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The cast of “Kinky Boots” take a bow Sept.19 at the end of the performance, which took place at University Theatre. The show is one of the last to take place in University Theatre before the location closes for renovations. OLVIA GROUND, DN
A local pottery store offers creative opportunities for Muncie residents.
Jessica Bergfors Visual Editor
Ceramic dragons, mugs, bowls and gnomes line the shelves as customers contemplate what piece to choose. With around 300 different products and over 100 paint colors to choose from, Made in Muncie Pottery offers the Muncie community a creative workspace for those of all skill levels wanting to delve into ceramics.
Located in Downtown Muncie, Made in Muncie provides a variety of workshops and lessons. Rachel Kline, the shop manager at the store, said walk-ins are the most common business that they receive.
Kline described the typical process: Customers walk in and pick any piece from the shelves to work with. Then, a “pottery waitress” will help pick colors and brushes. After they’re given art supplies, customers will start to work on their selected pottery pieces.
Once the painting and decorating process is
finished, the Made in Muncie staff handles it from there. The piece is dried, then a staff member will gloss the piece with a clear coat and another will load it into the kiln and fire it.
materials that are not easily accessible, allowing the store to give Muncie an introduction to the world of ceramics without community members having to purchase their own equipment.
“It shows hidden talents of members of our community and allows you to have fun, be you, do you and have something to show for it.”
- LINDSEY SPEER, Director of Undergraduate Admissions
JESSICA BERGFORS, DN ILLUSTRATION
The whole process takes around a week, so customers can expect their pieces back in a few days.
“We have an opportunity not only for people to do something different, but there’s so many choices here ... that there’s something in everybody’s budget,” Kline said.
Kline said ceramics require expensive, specific
Many products at Made in Muncie are made inhouse, and shop owner Toren Scott throws on a pottery wheel to create pieces.
Underneath Made in Muncie is a wet clay studio where Made in Muncie houses molds to pour clay into to create items. In order to keep up with demand and desire for variety, they also have
suppliers from different companies.
Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Ball State University Lindsey Speer said she had worked with Made in Muncie for over 20 years. She said their partnership started when Made in Muncie was originally opened under the name “Artist Within.”
Every school year, Speers would help organize visits to Made in Muncie for around 30 orientation leaders during leader training in May.
“We worked with them to have a piece everyone could paint, and they let us take over the store for an evening, painting our creations,” Speer said.
Speer said she loved how everything the store used was homemade and that the staff was always helpful, flexible and easy-going. After each pottery painting session, they said they would take their group out to the street and capture a photo of them with their creations in front of the store.
“There is more to Muncie than McGalliard,” Speer said.
“They are a great local business to work with
A street view of Made in Muncie Pottery is photographed Sept. 20 in Downtown Muncie, Ind. Made in Muncie Pottery is located off of S Walnut Street. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
(Top) A finished pottery piece is pictured on a shelf Sept. 20 at Made in Muncie Pottery. The business’ pottery pieces range in price and size. (Bottom) A shelf designated to pottery thrown by Toren Scott is pictured Sept. 20 at Made in Muncie Pottery. Many of the pottery pieces are made in-house, some of which are thrown on a pottery wheel by owner Toren Scott.
[that makes] local things that allow anyone to be creative,” Speer said. “It shows hidden talents of members of our community and allows you to have fun, be you, do you and have something to show for it.”
Speer added that Made in Muncie truly embodies what Muncie is all about and said the staff is welcoming, artistic, local and involved.
Pottery waitress Anna Mitchel said her advice for new customers is to not be afraid and trust the process. Mitchel also said the business tries to have pottery available for every budget.
Mitchel began working at Made in Muncie in 2022 and added that her job has allowed her to experience a customer base she’d never seen before.
“I have worked at an expensive coffee shop. I’ve worked at bars,” Mitchel said. “It’s nice to see a place where I actually see everybody in Muncie … old or young.”
Mitchel also works behind the scenes, as she helps with production at the store. She dips pieces
in the glaze, helps with kiln management and loads pieces in and out of the kiln.
“I really wanted a space where I could be creative and also be entrusted with that creativity … here, they give us the reins to run the ship,” Mitchel said.
Fellow pottery waitress Mary Arnett-Delaney said her favorite part of working at Made in Muncie is packaging orders. She attributed this to loving how different the pieces can look before and after the kiln process.
Kline added that she loves how people continue to surprise her, even after working there for eight years.
“There are things I’ll pull out of the kiln that legitimately impress me — either in the creativity or the quality of how it turned out,” Kline said. “I’ll see people use some of our tools or come up with different ideas that I’ve never seen before.”
“Frequent fliers” are what Kline calls their regular customers she knows by name.
“That’s the really nice thing about this kind of cozy, fun environmenwt … people getting to
know us is really nice,” Kline said.
Kline said she has seen families who came to Made in Muncie on a whim and have grown to love it.
Kline said her favorite group was an older woman, sister and daughter who would come in almost every weekend. She said they started off nervous, getting only a blank mug to paint with two shades of green. Yet, over time, they brought more family and branched out of their comfort zone to try new techniques and mediums.
“You get that, ‘I’m so proud of you [feeling],’” Kline said. “You watch people who do return, branch out and get used to the medium.”
Made in Muncie is open with varying hours throughout the week but is closed on Monday and Tuesday. They also do off-site events and workshops throughout the year.
Contact Jessica Bergfors via email at jessica. bergfors@bsu.edu.
A customer paints pottery with group Sept. 20 at Made in Muncie Pottery. Made in Muncie Pottery has a variety of pottery pieces for customers to choose from. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
JESSICA BERGFORS, DN ILLUSTRATION
One Letter to Four
One letter defined most of my academic career until I got my ADHD diagnosis.
ANDREW BERGER, DN BRENDEN ROWAN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Payton Hammett
Columnist, “Payton’s
Payton Hammett is a first-year journalism major and writes “Payton’s Pen” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Growing up, I felt defined by one letter: X. This X haunted my childhood. It was one of the 26 letters teachers could put in their comment box on our report cards. Somehow, with only a 3.8 percent chance of getting this X, I got it every year. What does it mean? “Talks excessively.”
I never felt I talked too much, and I never knew why it was a concern for my educators. I simply enjoyed having friends and talking to them.
I felt so frustrated and confused. I didn’t understand why boys, who talked just as much as me had their actions written off with the phrase “Oh, it’s just ADHD [Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder]!”
But when I talked too much, I was sent to the hallway, called annoying and got an X on my report card. I spent most of my time in the hallway thinking about whether those boys got an X on their report cards too.
My breaking point came when I got a report card with not one X but two. This triggered some sort of switch in my prepubescent brain.
It was then that I started to think that something was wrong with me.
So, I tried to talk less. This lasted for maybe a day or two, but it didn’t work. No matter what I did, I couldn’t limit my verbal communication. I don’t think I have ever been more angry and frustrated with myself in my entire life.
This anger started to seep into every part of my life. I was angry in class. No matter how much I paid attention, nothing would stick. I heard the content, but I couldn’t understand it.
I would go from 0-100 in seconds — there was no inbetween. I felt every single emotion so intensely. Whether something life-changing happened, or I lost my favorite pen, I would cry. I was always in the school bathroom crying, texting my mom, begging for her to come pick me up.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, I was diagnosed with anxiety. I loved volleyball with my entire heart and was so excited to play in high school, but when the time came, I couldn’t do it. The first practice I went to, I had to leave because of a panic attack. So, not only was I always angry, I was always anxious. It wasn’t a good mix.
Going to school felt like an impossible mountain to climb. I was terrified of failing. My excessive talking — and crying — made it hard to make friends. I would get called annoying and dramatic. Nobody wanted to be friends with the girl who talked all the time and cried even more.
Usually, it would be easier to conquer this seemingly insurmountable climb that I called school with friends, but I didn’t really have many. Rather, I didn’t have any friends who understood me. But I didn’t understand me either.
By my sophomore year, I was exhausted. I thought I was broken, and the only explanation seemed to be the X on my report card. But this wasn’t enough for me.
I needed an answer to my problem because an X didn’t explain why it was so hard to make friends, an X didn’t explain why I would cry all the time, an X didn’t explain why I didn’t understand my teachers, an X didn’t explain why I was so anxious. This X didn’t explain why I talked so much, it simply identified it.
I didn’t need any more identification, I needed to know why. I did what everyone does when they need an answer, and I googled it: “Why do I talk so much?” The first result: ADHD. I was initially confused because, to me, ADHD was the boys in my elementary school class who couldn’t sit still.
I thought that maybe it was ADHD, but nobody around me seemed to agree. They wouldn’t hear me. I felt broken, exhausted and unheard.
I was angry in class. No matter how much I paid attention, nothing would stick. I heard the content, but I couldn’t understand it.”
- PAYTON HAMMETT
I didn’t fit the ADHD stereotype, but they only saw one side of my symptoms and took it upon themselves to create an explanation.
Although I never understood what my teachers were saying, I still got all of my work done because I was a crippling perfectionist. Everybody else’s explanation for my excessive talking was merely my “outgoing personality.” My crying all the time was just me being “dramatic.”
All of these explanations were sufficient for everyone else, but they were not sufficient for me. I continued doing research, and the pieces started to fall into place. I started being more persistent, and finally, people listened to me.
I was finally diagnosed with ADHD the summer before my high school junior year. An X no longer defined me. Instead, I felt explained by four letters: A, D, H and D.
According to the CDC, 6 million children between the ages of 2 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. However, a 2024 study from the Clevland Health Clinic shows that girls are 16 times less likely than boys to be diagnosed and treated for ADHD.
ADHD has two subtypes: inattentive and hyperactiveimpulsive. Boys often fall under the hyperactive-impulsive
subtype, which is more identifiable from the outside. Girls oftentimes fall under the inattentive subtype where symptoms are often internalized and unnoticeable from the outside.
According to the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, ADHD is frequently identified in classrooms, where boys are more likely to get referrals for a diagnosis because their symptoms are undeniable — overt aggression, restlessness, fidgeting and impulsivity. For girls, ADHD is not worn on our sleeves. It is less likely to be noticed by teachers because the inattentive type is not disruptive.
Teachers cannot see the low self-esteem, emotional dysregulation, impulsive/risky behaviors and difficulty in making friends.
Undiagnosed ADHD often results in the development of perfectionistic behaviors, so schoolwork is still accomplished. Speaking of perfectionist behaviors, this crippling perfectionism often results in coping mechanisms and masking of their symptoms.
Girls may be mistakenly diagnosed with anxiety and/ or depression because of the overlap in symptoms, or these mental illnesses may develop due to the lack of diagnosis. This in turn decreases the likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis altogether. Regardless, these symptoms only become more severe the longer they go undiagnosed.
Many girls, including myself, are left feeling like they are broken — a feeling so heavy that it is indescribable. These feelings of brokenness due to a lack of diagnoses can start to transform into not only low self-esteem but also anxiety and depression.
It is crucial to diagnose ADHD in girls and diagnose it early. No person should ever be left crying to whoever will listen, begging to be “fixed.” I did not need to be fixed — nothing was “wrong” with me. I just needed the proper diagnosis and proper treatment.
The under diagnosis of ADHD needs to be fixed.
Educating people about the differences in ADHD between girls and boys is crucial because most referrals happen in the classroom; teachers must be educated and know how to identify all forms of ADHD.
Parents play an even bigger role. Life with ADHD is hard, but life without a diagnosis is even harder. Parents need to listen to their children when they express concern and pay attention to their kid’s behavior or changes in their behavior.
Parents need to be proactive for their children to fight for a referral or for a diagnosis and need to advocate for their kids.
ADHD has become a weightless term in day-to-day life. ADHD is not just nonstop talking and fidgeting; it is a disorder that adds extra weight to every single part of life.
Do not let ADHD become a slogan for being hyper.
Sometimes, I still feel like an imposter. The years I lived without a diagnosis left me in denial and left me feeling unheard. If there is one thing you choose to do, do not just hear girls’ experiences with ADHD, but listen to them and validate them.
We cannot keep letting young girls feel broken. It’s vital to know the differences between hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive, validate concerns, diagnose early, provide treatment and listen.
Contact Payton Hammet via email at payton.hammett@ bsu.edu.
Pen”
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“It was definitely hard at times because it was just like, ‘OK, I’m going into practice, or I’m going into a game day knowing I’m not going to be able to touch the floor,’” she said. “I would definitely say it helped me a lot to develop the techniques that Kelli teaches and the rhythms and the speed of the game.”
With Plitt’s departure from the squad and Gilliland entering her final season, Kennedy entered the 2023 season with the opportunity to see some more time on the court. Then, Gilliland, who totaled nearly 500 kills and over 200 blocks in 2021 and 2022, suffered a knee injury in a 3-1 loss to Wright State early into the season.
The injury forced Gilliland into medical retirement, and Kennedy, who had spent the previous season training for a different position, was asked to step up as an outside hitter.
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Second-year musical theater major Avery Nienhuis agreed with Newman and said while his character, Charlie Price, does not directly partake in drag, the lessons he learned doing the show are ones he can’t wait to share.
“I mean, there’s a lot that I would never claim to understand but ‘Kinky Boots’ — it’s an educational experience,” Nienhuis said. “ … It’s a beautiful thing really. We’ve had several emotional conversations with our creative team just about how we want to put this story forward and how we want to educate the community.”
Nienhuis said the overarching goal of the cast and creative team was to put on a good show and also to ensure the audience leaves with a new understanding.
“She was used to doing whatever she needed to do,” Phillips said. “She just wanted to play.”
Kennedy had no hesitation.
“It was just like, ‘I got this. I’ve been training for this for a year and a half, it shouldn’t be anything different,’” she said. “I wasn’t really nervous or anything. I was very prepared for the moment.”
Moving around wasn’t entirely new to Kennedy, who played all around the court while at La Porte High School, but this change at the collegiate level was a whole new challenge.
“I’m very flexible,” Kennedy said. “I can take challenges and just go with it, and it doesn’t have to be a challenge necessarily. It can be, ‘OK, it’s a new experience, I’m going to embrace it and just try my best at it.’ If it doesn’t work, then it doesn’t work. But if it’s successful, I’m just going to keep pushing and trying to get better at it.”
She would finish the season with a 4.12 killsper-set average, which ranked first in the MAC and 32nd among all NCAA Division I players. Kennedy also picked up a First Team All-MAC selection
divides us and what separates us,” Newman said. “We’re all different, and I think this show does an excellent job at celebrating differences while also celebrating commonalities.”
To ensure the show became all they envisioned it to be, including accurate portrayals of drag, Jenkins and the production staff decided to bring on a drag expert, alumni Easton Michaels.
“Easton has been an extraordinary resource for us, and Easton came right in from the beginning through the audition process … and said, from the beginning, drag is not about one group portraying some other group,” Jenkins said. “They said, anybody who is willing, is open to audition for the drag performers because drag is a celebration of your inner self.”
Jenkins added that their cast of drag performers span across the gender spectrum, including male and female-identifying actors.
Newman shared that all the actors portraying drag artists in the show spent most of the summer and the start of the academic year in makeup tests, costuming, and taking time to learn about drag and the art of drag.
and American Volleyball Coaches Association AllMidwest Region Honorable Mention to go along with her freshman of the year nod.
“[It was] no surprise on my end — no surprise in our gym. Maybe [to] some others just because they hadn’t seen her before,” Phillips said. “The second you watch her, you can see why she’s pretty special.”
Senior setter Megan Wielonski, a fellow MAC Freshman of the Year winner in 2021, said the connection between setter and hitter took a little bit of time to get off the ground, but Kennedy’s versatility made for early success.
“It was definitely something she had to embrace,” Wielonski said. “She’s never looking for compliments or everyone telling her good job or anything. She’s just always striving to be the best version of herself, and you can see that in practice every day.”
Heading into the 2024 season, Kennedy hasn’t missed a beat, recording an impressive stat line of 90 kills and a 3.33 kill-per-set average as Ball
State rounded out its non-conference play with a 7-4 record.
Despite missing matches against Butler and Wright State with a minor knee injury, Kennedy’s total kills sit second on the Cardinals’ squad with only freshman outside hitter Carson Tyler accruing more while kills-per-set lead the roster.
This year, Kennedy’s goals are, naturally, focused on continual improvement. She wants to set the bar higher for herself by logging more kills, making smarter shots, heightening her volleyball IQ and playing six rotations.
The list doesn’t stop there, but it’s only cut down to be concise. Kennedy doesn’t really talk much about anything other than her team and how she can get better.
“I often don’t say anything because I don’t like to talk about me playing volleyball,” she said. “Our team is really good, and I think that I just push everyone to be better.”
Contact Daniel Kehn via email at daniel.kehn@ bsu.edu or on Twitter @daniel_kehn.
This show, it’s ultimately about all of us have way more in common than what than we think … What unites us is ultimately greater than what then what divides us and then what separates us.”
- AVERY NEINHUIS, Charlie Price in “Kinky Boots”
With the cast and crew only having five weeks together, Nienhuis said the process was initially daunting, but he and the rest of the cast and crew knew the show was worth taking on.
“This show, it’s ultimately about [how] all of us have way more in common than what we think … What unites us is ultimately greater than what
“Every single element of the drag, every single piece of the drag elements in this show have been meticulously planned and chosen. And I think that’s what makes this, the show, so great,” Newman said.
For Jenkins, he hopes this show can continue a conversation of acceptance and serve as an educational tool with the art of drag.
“One way in which you can inform people is to do it in a way where it’s not just talking at them, but hopefully speaking engaging them in a conversation,” Jenkins said. “And to me, this show invokes a conversation, and it’s a conversation about acceptance, and it’s a conversation about love.”
Kinky Boots is on stage Sept. 20-21, 25-28 at 7:30 p.m. and Sept. 22, 28-29 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at the College of Fine Arts Box Office, by phone at 765-285-8749 or online at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/bsu/969.
Contact Olivia Ground via email at olivia. ground@bsu.edu or Trinity Rea at trinity.rea@ bsu.edu.
Avery Nienhuis (left) and Kianna Saunders (right) perform as Charlie Price and Lauren in “Kinky Boots” Sept. 19 at University Theatre. Nienhuis said the process was initially daunting, but he and the rest of the cast and crew knew the show was
Second-year musical theater major Avery Nienhuis performs as Charlie Price in “Kinky Boots” at University Theatre Sept. 19. The musical tells the story of Price taking over his father’s shoe company. OLIVIA GROUND, DN
Fourth-year musical theater major Jarius Newman performs at Lola in “Kinky Boots” at University Theatre Sept. 19. “Kinky Boots” performances take place the weekends of Sept. 2029. OLIVIA GROUND, DN
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